tldr
Freetldr is a collection of simplified and community-driven man pages.
FreeFree tier
About tldr
tldr-pages is a community-maintained collection of simplified and practical help pages for command-line tools. It serves as a more approachable complement to traditional man pages, focusing on real-world examples rather than exhaustive documentation. The project covers a wide range of operating systems including UNIX, Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, SunOS, Android, Windows, Cisco IOS, and DOS. Official clients are available in Python, Rust, and Node.js, and a web client (tldr.inbrowser.app) provides offline support via PWA. The repository is fully open source and hosted on GitHub, with contributions from thousands of users.
Key Features
Community-maintained collection of simplified help pages
Practical examples for common command-line tools
Covers UNIX, Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, SunOS, Android, Windows, Cisco IOS, and DOS
Official clients for Python, Rust, and Node.js
Web client with offline support via PWA
Open source under GitHub (tldr-pages/tldr)
Translations available for many languages
Ever-growing collection with over 23,000 commits
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free and open source
- Practical examples over verbose documentation
- Community-driven with frequent updates
- Supports a wide range of operating systems and platforms
- Multiple official clients and a web client for easy access
- Translated into many languages
Cons
- Coverage depends on community contributions; some tools may be missing
- Command-line client quality may vary between implementations
- Not a substitute for comprehensive man pages in complex scenarios
- Requires pulling from GitHub repository for latest pages if not using a client that updates automatically
Best For
Quickly recalling command arguments or syntaxLearning command-line tools for beginnersTeaching command-line usage with simple examplesReference for less frequently used commandsCross-platform command help without installing additional software (via web client)
FAQ
What is tldr-pages?
tldr-pages is a collection of community-maintained help pages for command-line tools, aiming to be a simpler, more approachable complement to traditional man pages by focusing on practical examples.
How do I use tldr?
You can use one of the official clients (Python, Rust, or Node.js) or access the web client at tldr.inbrowser.app. For example, install the Python client via pipx: pipx install tldr, or use brew install tlrc for the Rust client.
What operating systems are supported?
tldr-pages cover commands for UNIX, Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, SunOS, Android, Windows, Cisco IOS, and DOS.
Is tldr free?
Yes, tldr-pages is completely free and open source. The project is hosted on GitHub under the tldr-pages organization.